Making Holistic Habits

I’ve been using the Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner by Calia Natural for almost a year now and its time for me to tell you what I think! 🙂 Firstly, I would like to mention that their customer service is first class. I made an order with them about a year ago and there were some problems with the shipping but they were very patient in helping me solve the issue and I cannot thank them enough for that. (Shoutout to Shira!) Also, stay tuned to the end for a special surprise.

Okay, moving on to the review! 🙂

I was sent the hydrating line which consists of the shampoo, conditioner and leave-in conditioner. I used it for about a month and immediately placed an order for the gallon jugs of shampoo and conditioner! I also included the intensive conditioner in my order.

Calia’s description for the Hydrating Shampoo :

Calia Hydrating Shampoo is an all natural shampoo is made with certified organic botanicals, certified organic enriching oils and the addition of lavender, bergamot and rose geranium essential oils. It is formulated the most natural way we know how. Even its preservative is from excreted tree sap from BC’s forests. Its gentle, floral formula leaves hair feeling clean and alive without feeling stripped of its natural feel. Like any quality organic shampoo, this product will not have the same amount of foaming suds as the mainstream products with synthetic chemicals.

My thoughts:

This shampoo comes out clear, so you know how pure it is! I find it very calming due to the lavender essential oil infused in it. It does smells like flowers and I wish there was a perfume with this scent! haha. It lathers like a dream. Literally. The best part is that it’s all natural with no SLS or any of those nasty chemicals in it. I was really impressed with the lather. Besides, it cleans my hair thoroughly without leaving it dry. Using this shampoo, I could drag out my shampooing intervals for even up to a week! Sounds gross, but it’s really good for your hair if you don’t wash it so often. Sometimes when I do the coconut oil hair treatment, even due to the fact that my hair is very thick, I only need to shampoo twice to get all or most of the coconut oil out! This is a HUGE plus for me as I like to do oil treatments very often. Not to mention, I only need to use the size of 2 50cent coins (SGD) to wash my thick bra strap length hair. The 240ml bottle lasts me about 2-2.5 months if I wash my hair twice a week, and also with the occasional hair treatments. (2 washes for treatment days).

Like all Calia products, this naturally produced conditioner is made with certified organic botanicals, certified organic enriching oils and the addition of lavender, bergamot and rose geranium essential oils. Its gentle, floral formula leaves hair manageable and vibrant. Best when used in combination with the Calia Hydrating Shampoo.

My thoughts:

Wow! I also got the gallon jug of this and while my jug for the shampoo is almost gone, I still have about half of this. Its great value for the price and it does its job well! It smells similar to the shampoo, but the conditioner smells MORE calming… I have no idea why but no complains, because I love the scent A LOT. 😀 The conditioner seems creamy but watery at the same time. Its kinda in the middle, I only need a pea size amount for the bottom half of my hair, therefore, it lasts me a looooooong time. The 240ml bottle lasts me 4-5months. Not kidding! I think this works great as a long term conditioner. I don’t find it building up or weighing my hair down at all.

Like all Calia products, this naturally produced leave-in conditioner is made with certified organic botanicals, certified organic enriching oils and the addition of lavender, bergamot and rose geranium essential oils. Its gentle, floral formula leaves your hair manageable, vibrant and adds a natural fullness. Best when used in combination with the Calia Hydrating Shampoo. Gently shake before each use, then mist onto towel dried, damp hair.

My thoughts:

I spray this on damp hair right out of the shower. When it’s damp, I don’t feel any difference. However, once it’s dry, my hair feels really soft. I hate it when I feel like there’s product on my hair, especially after I just washed it. Thankfully, Calia’s product is hydrating, yet light-weight. Personally, I don’t think that this is a must-have product because your hair would have already been so soft after the hydrating conditioner. However, if you love the scent or want a light leave in, like I do, do give this product a try! It spritz evenly and I use about 2-3sprays each time on the bottom half of my hair. This bottle is going to last me forever! Last but not least, I like that it has an expiry date on it, so I know when I should use it by. (I’m probably gonna use it even past its’ expiry date though, but its always good to know! 😛 )

Price: CAD11.99/S$12.50 (240ml)

Calia’s description for the Intensive Conditioner :

Intensive Conditioner is especially formulated to help repair dry, treated or damaged hair. It is an anti-frizz, natural conditioner, detangling instantly. Apply conditioner and massage into wet hair emphasizing dry ends for up to 2 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. To protect hair from pool chlorine damage, apply before swimming, then rinse out afterwards.

My thoughts:

“Danger: This might prevent split-ends forever!” I know that split-ends cannot be undone, but I’m starting to think that this might be true! 😛 I do not detect any scent in this intensive conditioner. The texture is slightly thicker than the hydrating conditioner. It is more moisturising as well. I use this once a week, when I don’t have enough time to do the oil treatment. This gives my hair more volume, and also makes it feel really soft to the touch, instantly. I ALWAYS have good hair days when I use this. I also only use a pea size amount for this. This product is definitely good to have.

Price : CAD10.99/S$11.50 (120ml) , CAD17.99/S$18.80 (240ml)

In Conclusion, their hydrating line is best for normal/oily hair types. Calia is one of the BEST natural company that I’ve ever came across, in terms of customer service and product quality. Unfortunately, shipping to Singapore is very expensive, at CAD90 for surface shipping which will take 4-10weeks to arrive. (Mine took about 8 weeks :() Hopefully, some time in the future they will be able to offer shipping at a lower cost, fingers crossed. However, that is only a small price to pay and I will continue to purchase their products for as long as they exist.

PS: I will be ordering gallon jugs of their purifying line soon and will update you with a review for the line! Super-hyped!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!!

I will be giving away a full-sized Hydrating Leave-in Conditioner to one of you.

“Wei is Mandarin for ‘transformative action’. Everything we create has a tangible, authentic positive effect on mind and body.”

I am absolutely loving these beautiful little flower essence energy mists from the lovely Lotus Wei. They are so convenient to travel with and use in everyday life. I love to spray these on my pillow cases, clothes, wrists and in front of my face and take a deep breath and feel the flower essences working their powers!

These are such a beautiful addition to my mornings, afternoons and nights. They remind me to stop, breathe, relax and smile.

Howdy! I’ve recently herd of Moogoo through my fellow Aussie mates. I did a lot of research on the company and realize that their products can be bought locally in stores! There are a few stores that carry Moogoo products, I will get into that at the end of the post. 😉

I was sent a few of their products, together with some from their sister makeup company – Dusty Girls. After trying out a few of their products, I literally went on their website and made a huge order!! Just wanna say that half of the products from the Moogoo/Dusty Girls trilogy posts were purchased by me and reviews are based on how I truly feel about the product.

Let’s get started!! I am going to review the Moogoo Haircare products today.

HOLY COW (no pun intended)

I am not exaggerating or anything but I think I have found my holy grail shampoo and conditioner! Let me start off by saying that I will continue to repurchase this duo until I have found something better, which will not be anytime soon. 😜This was first made for a family member who had a scalp so itchy they went to bed with olive oil and cling wrap around their head. It took 6 months of trialling until we banished the cling wrap to the kitchen for good.

Our Scalp Friendly Milk Shampoo has now become one of our best selling products. Read our ‘We got mail” page to see how much it has helped people with scalp problems. We use natural ingredients combined with ingredients to control the micro-flora of the scalp that can cause scalp problems for many adults and children. Fragrance Free. pH BAlanced. Natural Cleansers.

One of the many things I love about their company is that they are extremely transparent with their ingredients. All their ingredients are natural and very beneficial for your hair. They do not use SLS, however I find that the milk shampoo lathers like a dream! All you need is a small amount and it lathers and cleans your hair really thoroughly. It is because of the glucose and coconut derived cleansers! They also added a canola derived detangler and a phthalate free fragrant. I find this shampoo rather clarifying. I wouldn’t say VERY, but it does a pretty good job in cleansing and preventing build ups!

They not only do not add SLS to their shampoo, they also do not add silicones into their conditioner! “Cream Conditioner” – initially when I heard of the name, I was expecting it to be a thick cream that might weigh my hair down. Not gonna lie, I had doubts. Just a little! But hey, I was wrong. It proved my wrong! It was thin in consistency. It wasn’t thick at all. Not only that, it conditions really well, just like my previous conventional conditioners that had nasties in them. Except that this is all natural, no nasties! 🌿

So what’s in the conditioner that makes it conditions so well? Jojoba oil, olive oil, allantoin, a canola based detangler again and as well as hydrolized milk protein!

Moogoo and dusty girls add milk protein to most of their products. Just because they have pictures of cute cows on their products, doesn’t mean they include milk in their products! Don’t be confused between milk and milk protein. Milk cannot be kept and it would be just wrong to include them in any of your beauty products as they will turn bad. Really bad. 😕 but of course, they are good to take in orally!

Both the cream conditioner and milk shampoo smells like cream. Which I love! I love sweet smelling cream in my products.

The last product from their Haircare line I would be reviewing would be their Protein Shot Leave in Conditioner! Moogoo is constantly experimenting and creating new products to add to their line. One of the latest edition added is this product! I think it was only launched this year, very recent. I tried to find reviews of this product online but there wasn’t a lot of them. Hence, here I am! Enlightening more people about this amazing product existence. 😂 I add just a small amount of it and work it through my hair when it’s damp after showering. It is a relatively thick cream, therefore you only need a tiny bit. Even if you have thick hair like mine. I would not recommend applying this leave in conditioner to your hair when it’s dry as it has quite a thick consistency. Nevertheless, it works amazingly fine on damp hair. Once my hair dries, it feels very smooth and detangled. (I did not use a comb or brush when it’s wet) This product has a sweet berry scent, it’s not a very strong and it definitely does not linger.

A few of the many great ingredients in this product are milk protein, olive oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E! No silicones spotted as well 🙂

From their main website, the shampoo and conditioner costs AUD17.5 and they both come in a huge 500ml pump bottle which will most probably last me 6 months. (I wash my hair 2-3 times a week)

The protein shot leave in conditioner costs AUD14.5 and it comes in a 100ml air tight pump bottle.

Oh oh!! Because I’m from Singapore, I do not have to pay taxes and they will be deducted at the check out page. 🙂
You can get their products from:

Thanaka Powder is an all-natural facial mask powder made out of hand-selected barks from the Burmese Thanaka tree.

Today I will be reviewing one of Argo Naturals best selling product, the Pure Thanaka Powder.

The powder is infused with many natural and healthy ingredients which are very beneficial for the skin. One of which being Vitamin E. It is a natural antioxidant which protects our skin against free radicals, polluted air and harmful UV-rays. It also has moisturising properties!

Pure Thanaka Powder contains various ingredients that have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity. These active ingredients are responsible for removing pimples and controlling excessive facial OIL.
It also contains properties that inhibit Tyrosinase and therefore brighten a dull skin complexion.

There are many uses to this very versatile powder. Firstly, you can use it as a setting or face powder in general. It does not provide any coverage. However, it sets makeup beautifully.

Secondly, it can be used as a cleanser. You can just mix it with a little bit of water. Its’ very fine particles effectively remove dead skin cells from the outermost layer of your skin, resulting in a smooth and soft skin.

Last but not least, I think you could get the most out of this powder by using it as a mask. Add the same proportion of powder and water, mix them until you get the perfect paste-like consistency. Application is easy, it spreads out like a dream and does not clump together. I apply it on cleansed face, and leave it on for about 10-15minutes. I rinse it out with lukewarm water after. Oh! I forgot to mention, you can also add a few drops of your favourite essential oil into the mixture to boost the effects of the mask.

I think this is the most natural face mask that I have ever used. It literally only contains 100% Grade A Thanaka powder.

The packaging is also really beautiful! It comes in a bamboo jar and lid. This 65g jar is probably going to last me 6months with consistent usage. It retails for USD39.90. They also do sell the refill separately so you can save your jar and just refill the powder! 🙂

For more information, you can visit/contact them at:
WWW.ARGONATURALS.COM
email : service@argonaturals.com

Krysia Boinis and Kristine Keheley worked together for years designing and manufacturing award winning products for other brands. They created many unique formulas and were eager to SHARE them with the world.
Meanwhile in New York, Eric Sakas, a long time prestige cosmetics insider and previous President of Kevyn Aucoin Beauty, was searching for the next “Big Thing” in cosmetics – it had to be unique and effective. Something modern and revolutionary…that’s when Eric encountered a Vapour prototype and it was love at first sight.

I WAS HONESTLY SO EXCITED TO REVIEW THEIR PRODUCTS! Vapour Organic Beauty is already quite a well known brand, so I’m sure most of you who are in the green beauty community have already heard about them.
I have quite a couple of products to review from their makeup line. I will start reviewing the first product which I would usually apply, to the last.

Foundations

Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation
Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation is made with 70% organic ingredients and 30% natural mineral pigments. Vapour products do not contain water which is amazing as bacteria loves to grow in water! The foundations I received were unfortunately a shade darker than my actual skin tone. However, I was still able to make it work. I am wearing the shade 123. Vapour also sell samples and offer free shade consultations, for those who are unsure about what shade you should get! This foundation is formulated for normal to combination skin. It leaves my face feeling very soft and it dries to a satin finish. It gives a medium to full coverage and is easily buildable. It is choked full of good ingredients like Organic Pumpkin and Papaya Complex, Organic Camellia, and is infused with Vapour’s face-specific infusion of soothing Frankincense, Antioxidant Tulsi, and calming Lotus. The formula for this is quite thick, however, it feels light on the skin and does not look cakey at all. This retails for USD50(1.14oz), which is slightly more than the average 1oz foundation. It also comes in a hygienic pump bottle.

Atmosphere Luminous Foundation

This is their award winning foundation. Upon the first application, I know why this miracle in a tube has won so many awards! It gives me the most natural looking and dewy finish. I feel like I don’t even need a highlighter with this product. It doesn’t make my face look oily. However, it brings light to the places which needs to be highlighted! (Cheekbones, Nose Bridge etc) This also comes in a unique twist up applicator which is amazing for people who doesn’t have a lot of time to prepare in the morning before school/work, like me! It is compact and also great to toss in the purse for on the go touch ups throughout the day. This gives great coverage! Currently, I do not have a lot of blemishes to be covered so I have been using this pretty often this few days. This gives a light to medium coverage and as with all Vapour products, I blend this in with my finger tips. This is formulated for normal to dry and sensitive skin. With Vapour’s Light Reflective Technology, the appearance of fine lines, WRINKLES, and pores is diminished. Skin becomes instantly smoother, softer, and more even. This retails at USD42 for 0.40oz tube.

Illusionist Concealer

Either one of the foundations, paired with this is most definitely the perfect duo for a flawless natural looking face. It contains almost the same ingredients as the Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation. It provides good coverage and brightens the under eye area which is what I really need in a concealer right now. Just like the Luminous Foundation, this also comes in a stick form as well for easy, on the go application. Unfortunately, once the stick is twisted up, it can’t be twisted down. Hence, you got to be really careful so as to not waste any product or make a mess. I wear this in the shade 020 which is perfect.

Solar Translucent Bronzer

This bronzer comes in 3 shades. Mirage is the lightest shade and Spicy is the darkest. I own the shade Simmer, which is the middle. It isn’t too dark, or too light for my skin tone. Perfect! Bronzers are really essential for me. This comes in a stick form and out of all the bronzers I have tried, this wins hands down in terms of packaging and it is really a breeze to apply. It usually takes me at least 1 minute to apply my bronzer. However, with this Solar Translucent Bronzer, it literally takes me 30 seconds or less! Incredible. The colour pay off is really good. It isn’t orange or streaky at all and it will never make you look like an oompa loompa, regardless of how much you apply. You can easily build this up to the level of opacity that you like. Solar is infused with sun-specific super antioxidants Pomegranate, Green Tea and Acai Berry, and nourishes SKIN with calming Calendula Flower and vitamin-rich Shea Butter. This retails for USD36 for 6.80g of product.

Aura Multi-Use Blush – Classic

These blushes are really pigmented and all you need is two strokes from your hairline to the apply of the cheeks. You can easily blend them out with your fingers or a brush, lightly. This will give you a very natural looking healthy flush of colour on the cheeks. It contains Organic Sunflower Oil, Castor Oil, Tulsi/Holy Basil and Organic Lotus. These blushes comes in a stick form and can also be used on the lips. However, I find that it works best as a blush as Vapours’ Siren Lipsticks does the job better on the lips!
I own this in the shade Spark, which is a sheer pinky pink and Courtesan, which is a classic rose. This two shades are the popular shades for their Classic Blushes.

Siren Lipstick

Siren is a long wearing lipstick and lip conditioner in one amazing chemical free formula. It is pretty long lasting. It lasted me about 2 hours before I have to lightly touch it up. It is also extremely moisturising and gives a slight glossy finish but not too obvious. It is very pigmented for such a moisturising lipstick and it’s very natural looking as well. Even though it is moisturising, it is not sticky at all. It contains many beneficial essential oils.
I have the shade Hint, which is a warm rosy coral and Madam, which is a classic rich mauve. On a daily basis, I would wear hint. Madam is more of a mysterious colour, it is great for days which you want to look slightly more made up.

I have come to the end of the review, I would give the brand 7.5/10! I currently have my eyes set on their primers and eye products.

I would like to sincerely thank Vapour Organic Beauty for giving me the opportunity to test and review these products. All my reviews are based on my honest opinions. 🙂WWW.VAPOURBEAUTY.COM

Herbivore Botanicals is a 100% natural skin care + beauty company. All of our formulas are original, created and tested by us, on real people, never on animals and always from scratch – no pre-made bases are used. Additionally, all of our products are 100% vegan with an emphasis on organic and exceptionally high quality, therapeutic and food grade ingredients.

I will be reviewing 3 products from their amazing Skincare line and the Jasmine Body Oil from their Body Care line.

Let me start off with their most popular product: SOAPS.

French Pink Clay is a very gentle clay known for drawing out impurities without drying your skin. This is a truly beautifying and skin softening face and body soap. This is a pretty moisturising and gentle soap which is great for sensitive and dry skin! It is also safe for use on both the body and face, as with all Herbivore Botanicals soaps.This smells really citrusy and floral, great for mornings to wake you up a little! The key ingredients to this soap are French Pink Clay, Geranium Essential Oil, Blood Orange Essential Oil. This ingredients help to detoxify the skin, improve its’ elasticity and prevent bacteria from developing on sores!
This soap retails for USD10(4oz).

Bamboo Charcoal has been used for centuries in the East. The Japanese use it regularly for everything from filtering and purifying drinking water to brushing their teeth. When used in skin care, activated Bamboo Charcoal does wonders to deeply cleanse and detoxify.
Personally for me, I’ve been liking this soap a lot for when I am having outbreaks. This really helps to get all the gunk out of my face at the end of the day, and makes it feel really skin. It is great for oily to combination skin! This is the perfect soap for me as it contains Bamboo Charcoal, Tea Tree Essential Oil, Bergamot essential oil and many more natural ingredients. Tea tree oil especially, is amazing as it kills bacteria and helps fight acne. This soap retails for USD10(4oz).Balancing Toner
This 100% Natural Skin Toning Elixir is created to restore pH balance to combination or oily skin after cleansing. It is great for prepping the skin before moisturiser. This toner will ensure that your skin absorbs all the moisture and goodness it can out of your moisturiser. It also ensures that no residue is left behind even after cleansing! The key ingredients to this are Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera and Neroli Oil. These ingredients are very calming and helps to reduce inflammation and maintain the right moisture and oil balance in the skin.
This retails for USD24 (4oz) glass spray bottle.

Jasmine Body Oil
Named for the precious Jasmine Sambac and Egyptian Jasmine oils that it contains, the Jasmine Body Oil is a blend of pure, natural botanical oils for glowing + hydrated skin with an intoxicating scent.
This is my absolute favourite product from their line! I have never tried a body oil before as I’m afraid that it might leave a residue behind in this humid weather. This product has really changed my opinion on that and I have came to really love body oils and cannot wait to try more. Upon application, it makes my skin feel soft and silky and soaks right in. It doesn’t leave any residue, not even on my hands which is great. The downside of this product however, is that it’s rather thin. Hence, I need more pumps than my usual body products to apply. With that being said, this body oil contains Camellia Flower Oil, Grapeseed oil, Jasmine Sambac oil etc. This ingredients contains Omega fatty acids which improves skin elasticity and enhance its’ natural glow. This body oil most definitely smells just like Jasmine tea which many around me love! This retails for USD26(2oz) and USD44(4oz).

That’s it for my review! I really love how this tiny company has expanded over the years and have now become really known in the Green Beauty world. Do let me know if you have tried any of their products before and what you think of them!

For more information, you can contact/visit:WWW.HERBIVOREBOTANICALS.COM
Email: info@herbivorebotanicals.com

I will be reviewing 3 products today – the Papaya Geranium Cleansing Milk, Ultra C Radiance Serum and last but not least, the Anti Ageing Defence complex.

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Ultra C Radiance Serum

This is an intensive Rosehip oil based anti aging vitamin C serum containing a synergistic blend of high potency cosmecuectical actives in a base of nutrient rich & hydrating oils for vibrant & healthy skin. It is formulated for tired, stressed and sun-damaged skin.
It has a citrusy scent to it, probably because of the Vitamin C infused in it! It comes in a translucent oil formula, which isn’t too heavy or sticky. It glides on really smoothly on the skin. Because its of a rather thin consistency, I need about 1 pump of this to cover my entire face, which is quite a bummer 😦 However, it does its job. Makes my face radiant looking and moisturised. This is moisturising enough, so you can skip moisturiser after! (For combination skins) This retails at $69 for the 1oz dropper bottle.

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Anti Ageing Defence Complex

An anti ageing face cream, formulated with their unique anti ageing complex to help improve skin texture and lock in moisture. Even though I am not sure about the anti ageing part, this face cream has definitely moisturised my skin well. It is thick in consistency and I only need 1/2 to 3/4 pump to cover my entire face and neck. This smells really good! It has a dairy kind of scent to it which I love! This retails at $86 for the 1.69oz pump bottle.

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Papaya Geranium Cleansing Milk

This is a creamy and nourishing cleanser. It is also very gentle as well, hence, I like to use in on lazy days or mornings when no makeup is involved! If you’d like a more thorough cleanse, you can try their Wild Apple and Mint Purifying gel Cleanser. I haven’t tried that yet, however, I am sure that it’s really refreshing with the mint infusion. Anyways, moving on to the review, I feel like I do not need any moisturisers after cleansing my face with this as it is that moisturising! But of course, ones’ skincare regimen is never completed without a serum or moisturiser! This cleansing milk retails at $38 for the 100ml pump bottle.

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Not forgetting, the products were accompanied by this cute and versatile draw string bag which is great for travelling or bringing the products with you on the go!